In my U.S. Pat. No. 3,826,222, incorporated by reference herein, I described a system for dispensing unit doses of medication in small strip packs which are placed in a rectangular dispensing box. The box has printed matter at one end including certain color coded indicia which indicate various conditions for administering the unit doses. A label is provided for adherence to the color coded section on the box and has code selecting areas thereon which correspond to the color coded areas printed on the box. By properly punching the label in the code selected areas corresponding to the color coded areas on the box the desired color codes on the box will be exposed. These exposed color codes quickly visually indicate to the nurse the time for administering the proper doses and other factors which should be called to the attention of the nurse. This system was especially adapted to unit doses in strip pack form. However, the patent does disclose that other forms such as vials, capsules, envelopes, and the like could be employed.
While the above described system has been especially useful where unit dose strip packs are employed and where the dispensing containers are rectangular boxes of the throwaway type, there still exists a need for a reusable dispensing container where the medication is included in the container in loose form. Moreover, there has existed a need for such a dispensing system which incorporates in the system safeguards to insure that the medication is dispensed in an efficient and safe manner and where provisions are included in the system to insure that a sufficient supply of medication is on hand at all times. More particularly, there is a need to insure that a nurse may quickly and easily determine when medication must be reordered and a need to insure that a reserve supply of the medication is on hand while the prescription is being refilled. Furthermore, there exists a need for such a system where the specific dispensing instructions are easily apparent to the nurse.